all available from Beech Hill Music all available from Beech Hill Music
Anne's Field Guide to the
Mountain Dulcimer series is a well-organized course of
instruction, presented in two volumes: Book 1 contains level I,
and Book 2 contains levels II and III. Both books are
published by Mel Bay, the well-known music publisher which has
been helping people learn to make their own music for more than
70 years.
Both books are written in a
friendly, relaxed and encouraging style, and feature extensive
exercises and lots of fun tunes to play, all of which are
available as free downloadable audio files to support the
written instruction. Throughout the books, playful illustrations
by artist and musician Kat Logan decorate the pages.
Spiced with humor, Field Guide to the Mountain
Dulcimer, Book 1 is a beautifully structured and organized
guide, taking the beginner step-by-step through Level I of a
well-planned sequence of lessons. Book 1 covers tips on buying and
maintaining the instrument, left and right hand techniques,
chords, and accompaniment. 120 pages.
Want a sneak peak? Click here
for some sample pages and audio files from Book 1.
Field Guide to the Mountain Dulcimer, Book 2 follows Book 1 with two additional levels, presented in the same well-structured yet easy-going style. Level II is a light-hearted and supportive approach to understanding the fretboard, featuring chord patterns, tunings, capos, duets and just a little music theory. Level III focuses on giving the now more-seasoned player the opportunity to create his or her own arrangements by exploring scales, transposition and advanced accompaniment techniques. 340 pages.
Click here for a few Book 2
sample pages and audio files.
Buy both books together as a set - save $5, and they ship as one item! You can have it all for less than the cost of a couple of private lessons!
A fun song about the things she allegedly learned
from her mother, Anne's single A Lot of Fine Stories is
her first "official" recording since 2000's Against The Moon.
It features Anne on cello - accompanied by Matt Szostak on
cittern, Cindy Kallet on guitar, and Will Brown. Everybody sings!
Download it here - it's free!
Right-click the music button below and "save link as& " (or however your computer saves files) to download the MP3 file to your computer&
A Lot
of Fine Stories: Written by Anne Dodson and performed by
Anne, Matt Szostak, Cindy Kallet and Will Brown
(Song length 3:29. File size 6.4 Mbytes. 256 kBits/s MP3)
If you like it and want
to pay a little something for it, please feel free to make a
donation in any amount using the Paypal button below&
Anne's most recent CD features 16 original, contemporary and traditional songs and tunes, ranging from a lament for the death of a friend to the story of a relationship ruined by a game of Monopoly. Many pieces showcase Anne's wide-ranging vocals, guitar, mountain dulcimer and pennywhistle in solo settings, but she is also joined by local, and not so local musicians including husband Matt Szostak, brother David Dodson, Cindy Kallet, Gordon Bok and Harvey Reid. Other contributors include cellist Abby Newton, harper Kristin Tescher, Kathy Brand, Will Brown, England's Anne Lister and Canadian musicians Steve Sellors and Bill Preeper.
Why Do You Worry, Against the Moon, The Fiddler's Ear (Steve Sellors) * The Locket, Unity, Waiting, Jane's Whistle (Anne Dodson) * Rosemarie (Anne Lister) * All That You Ask Me (Kieran Goss) * Big Green Tree (Dennis Murphy) * Life Comes In (Ellen Epstein) * The Limping Drinker's Polka (Jez Lowe) * Monopoly (Richard Berman) * Wait Till the Clouds Roll By, The Leatherwing Bat, Open the Door (traditional)
A couple of MP3 samples:
Why Do You Worry:
Written by Steve Sellors and performed by Anne, Steve and Bill.
(Song length 2:52. File size 2 Mbytes. 96 kBits/s MP3)
Open The Door: A
traditional song with Anne and Matt.
(Song length 3:34. File size 2.48 Mbytes. 96 kBits/s MP3)
BH104cThe Woodchuck Song * The Duchess at Tea * Buffalo Boy * All the Clumsy Animals * Benjy * Waiting for the Lark * Kennebunkport * Lady Jane Medley * The Coffeepot Song * Forgotten Apples * Something Told the Wild Geese * Good Fish Chowder * Never have a Bath * Kyle's Arrival * Lions * Bird Seed * Taladh * Priggish Tom and Piddily Pie
to Almost Grown notes and reviews
BH102cCocked Hat * Schooner * Connecticut Twister * Ettrick * From Where I Sit * Soft Are the Hours * Miss Bea * I'm Gonna Getshew * Boy In Winter * Lazarus * Parker's Jetty * You Can't Take it With You * Bedtime Story
to From Where I Sit notes and reviews
BH101cThe Shores of Lake Mendosa * Come Into the Fire * Minneapolis/St. Paul and Somebody Ate Sally (lament for a duck) * So Will We Yet * Beech Hill * Almost Every Circumstance * The True Haunting * The Good In Living/North Haven Rambles * Back In Durham Jail * In Your Eyes * Searching the Desert for the Blues * Prayer
to In Its Own Sweet Time notes and reviews
FR172cFlash Company * Sandwood Down to Kyle * Key to the Highway * Early * Deep Dark Well * Tranquility Grange * River Waltz * Mountain Gal * Lonesome Robin * She's Gone (Solid Gone) * John of Dreams * Old Friend * Sail Away, Ladies
to Tranquility Grange notes and reviews
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Reviews
Itinerary and Update
is aimed at 6-12 year olds, but is designed so that adults and very young ones will enjoy it as well! As is usual on any of Anne's recordings, a multitude of friends have been enlisted, including Matt Szostak, Different Shoes, Gordon Bok, Lisa Redfern, Leila Percy, Denny Williams, David Dodson, Mr. & Mrz. Burnett, Cindy Kallet and forty two 5th graders from the Asa Adams Elementary School in Orono, Maine. With songs ranging from a full choral piece (sung by kids), to rounds to extremely silly songs to instrumentals to a Scots Gaelic lullaby, Almost Grown is a delightful romp, which was as much fun to record as it is to listen to. (imagine three people at the recording studio's bathroom sink trying to recreate the sound of a clumsy frog falling into a pond, and you'll get the picture!). Almost Grown is Anne's 4th solo venture.
"Almost Grown is thoroughly charming... For
those who want to truly share music with kids, Almost
Grown is about as good as it gets."
- Rich Warren, Sing Out! Magazine, spring '96
"It's got guts and bounce and a lot of obvious
joy. And some lovely quiet moments, too."
- Gordon Bok
The Menu:
The Woodchuck Song... the true adventures of life with Woody in the garden
The Duchess at Tea... author Pat Shaw meets flugelhorn and trombone in a very polite round!
All the Clumsy Animals... make it hard to get any sleep
Benjy... provides lunch
Waiting for the Lark... a lovely lullaby by Bill Caddick
Kennebunkport... Malvina Reynolds must have visited Maine... or close to it
Lady Jane/Bricks and Mortar/Queen Adelaide... hurdy-gurdy, fiddle and guitar...fun for dancers
The Coffeepot Song... bet you can't sing it... fast... yet
Forgotten Apples... Denny Williams goes apple picking in this semi-rocker
Something Told the Wild Geese... the 5th grade chorus, cello, violin
Good Fish Chowder... makes you want to cry for more
Never Have a Bath... a la' the Andrews Sisters
Kyle's Arrival... cittern and mountain dulcimer
Lions... enjoy the matinee
Bird Seed... the 5th grade chorus help out with this Jan Harmon song
Taladh... a lullaby in Scots Gaelic
Priggish Tom and Piddily Pie... Anne's song of encouragement for shy singers featuring a chorus of all ages... including her mom!
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is a stunning array of new and old songs and tunes featuring Matt Szostak, Gordon Bok, Pixie Lauer, David Dodson, the outrageous Mr. and Mrs. Burnett, fiddler Jon Cooper, cellist Abby Newton, Sonny True, Sarah Ehrlich, harper Carol Rohl, Nick Apollonio and Holly Spangenberg.
..."Especially loved the last five! 'Parker's
Jetty' is gorgeous! Thanks so much for the fine music!"
- Noel Paul Stookey (Peter, Paul & Mary)
"This album is more the way folk music used to
be than most recent releases... If you want to sink your ears
into music that's fulfilling and fun, listen to this disc."
- Rich Warren, Sing Out! Magazine 1993
"...From Where I Sit... is a tasty,
eclectic potpourri of acoustical mini- masterpieces... I'll take
the wonderful music of Anne Dodson any way I can get my ears on
it."
- Ben Blake, Popular Folk Music Today, Winter 1994
"...a real sweetie of a voice, the flawless,
breathtaking possession of Anne Dodson. Sumptuous selection of
carefully collected songs too, modern, traditional material
right up to gems from Jez Lowe, Larry Kaplan and Archie Fisher.
Dodson's own songs are well-stated... a fine bill of fare..."
- Tony May, Folk Roots Magazine, England
"WOW! WOW! WOW!!!! ZINGO! KERBLAM!! WHERE HAS
THIS WOMAN BEEN??? (I had 6 phone calls!)"
- David Weide, KUNV, Reno NV internet playlist
back to list of Anne's recordings
is the second of Anne's solo releases and features many of the same cast of characters including Pixie Lauer, David Dodson, Gordon Bok, Nick Apollonio, Abby Newton, Jon Cooper, Mike Burd, Elmer Beal, Tom Judge and David Surette
"The vocals and instrumentals are carefully
balanced. Harmonies add depth but never crowd or confuse the
melody or lyrics... (In Its Own Sweet Time) is a mature
recording by an artist at her best, one to share and enjoy with
friends."
- David T. Moore, Dulcimer Player News
"Upbeat, beautifully sung, played and
recorded, this disc is never far from the CD player. Can you
wear out a CD?"
- Tom Babbin, E. Thomas Compact Discs Newsletter
"...A rich, flawless voice and
multi-instrumentalist, she just released In Its Own Sweet
Time- her second solo album- a pitch-perfect, musical
delight..."
- The Eighth Step, Albany NY
"Listening last night to a CD carousel that I
had loaded up weeks ago, I was startled again by the clarity,
simplicity, and excellent choice of songs on Anne Dodson's In
Its Own Sweet Time. We have seen Anne a couple of times in
house concerts. She always pleases. Many of the songs she does
are her own but many others are traditional or well-selected
covers from other performers- all melding in a seamless web. We
never pass up one of her rare visits to the DC area. If you are
feeling mildly jaded with the current crop of singer/songwriter
releases, do your ears a favor by picking up this Anne Dodson
release and seeing her the next time she comes around."
- Victor K. Heyman, Internet Folk Music Discussion
Group
back to list of Anne's recordings
is Anne's first solo outing and has become a bit of a classic. Simple and unadorned, it features the "usual" crowd of friends; David Dodson, Nick Apollonio, Gordon Bok and Pixie Lauer.
"...Tranquility Grange... is an apt
title since much of the material is performed in a gentle,
unadorned fashion that only special talents like Priscilla
Herdman, Sally Rogers and Anne Dodson can pull off... but don't
pigeonhole her as a traditional singer..."
- Rob Weir, The Valley Advocate, Northampton MA
"Anne... is an uncommonly good singer and this
album is truly a showcase for her considerable talents"
- Bill Spence, Andy's Front Hall Reviews,
Voorheesville, NY
back to list of Anne's recordings
Return to
Anne's home page
Reviews
Itinerary and Update